DMSO Vs MSM For Pain

[Captain_Coconut]

While I have experimented a lot to improve my health I have yet to try DMSO. I am planning to order some and try it for treating my upper back pain which I have been struggling with for many years. I'm about to order some and would like to call on the collective knowledge here. I have a few things in mind to try out and I'm looking for some feedback.

0. Some background in case it is of any interest. I have been taking MSM for several years,... evidently much of DMSO degrades to MSM.... I have read before that some benefits from DMSO come from the MSM it produces, but maybe this factor is minor when it comes to pain.... I honestly never noticed much in the way of pain alleviation with MSM, even on weeks of tablespoon size doses. My results with MSM have been mild : slightly better flexibility, slightly improved skin, mild alleviation of allergies. I get the most out of it from taking a teaspoon several times a week, I don't notice more beyond that, I do notice I will feel worse if I go long periods without any (I don't eat much high sulfur food).

1. How does DMSO compare to MSM for pain relief? How long does the relief tend to last for after a treatment?

2. What would the standard starting oral and also topical dose of DMSO look like? What are standard precautions I should know? Are there other supplements I should take alongside to prevent negative effects? Are there negative effects?

3. I am looking for some introductory / trustworthy guide material on using DMSO for pain / healing.

3. How bad is the garlic smell? Is there something to do to offset the smell? Does occassional (once a week) use bring out a smell or does it need to be more frequent than that?

4. Has anyone nebulized DMSO? I have read this has great results, does this sound safe or foolish to you? The idea appeals to me, in part because it sounds less messy and would cut down on the risk of it accidentally coming in to contact with something foreign and leeching that in to my body.

5. Why do people visit doctors for iv treatment with dmso when dmso passes directly in to the body. What benefit would this have over topical?

6. Are there any common minerals, vitamins, medicines that you can suggest I try to mix with DMSO for healing of tendinitis / internal scaring.

I know this is asking a lot, but I really admire the minds on this board and want to hear opinions here, rather than get them from some random website.

Thanks!

 

[lvysaur]

I used to take MSM and never noticed anything particularly different from it.

What do you guys think of the woman who died from DMSO?
Analysis of a Toxic Death | DiscoverMagazine.com

I wonder if a chain reaction like that could happen with MSM too.

 

[Captain_Coconut]

I read that DMSO death story, it's possible the woman was doing some kind of hardcore alternative cancer therapy - and she was off-gasing something extremely toxic because of that... maybe she drank ammonia by accident I don't know. Whatever it was, I can't find similar DMSO or MSM horror stories so I'm not worried, the main take away I get is you don't want other poisons in your body if you are taking DMSO as it will potentiate things. I have definitely combined MSM with other toxins - and felt better the next day than if I had not.

 

[Captain_Coconut]

Bump... still looking for feedback. Particularly on nebulizing dmso....

 

[InChristAlone]

That story of the lady with the bad smell is really eery! I gave my son a drop of vitamin K2 in DMSO the night before he developed a chemical odor to his breath. It wasn't garlicky. At first I thought ketoacidosis but his blood sugar was normal, then I was looking up why the breath may have a smell like that and came up with bacteria in the mouth can produce certain smells. We brushed his teeth and it seemed to help. Just weird as I've never smelled anything like that on someone.

 

[Captain_Coconut]

Interesting @Janelle525 , or perhaps some metals were being chelated out.

 

[ddjd]

While I have experimented a lot to improve my health I have yet to try DMSO. I am planning to order some and try it for treating my upper back pain which I have been struggling with for many years. I'm about to order some and would like to call on the collective knowledge here. I have a few things in mind to try out and I'm looking for some feedback.

0. Some background in case it is of any interest. I have been taking MSM for several years,... evidently much of DMSO degrades to MSM.... I have read before that some benefits from DMSO come from the MSM it produces, but maybe this factor is minor when it comes to pain.... I honestly never noticed much in the way of pain alleviation with MSM, even on weeks of tablespoon size doses. My results with MSM have been mild : slightly better flexibility, slightly improved skin, mild alleviation of allergies. I get the most out of it from taking a teaspoon several times a week, I don't notice more beyond that, I do notice I will feel worse if I go long periods without any (I don't eat much high sulfur food).

1. How does DMSO compare to MSM for pain relief? How long does the relief tend to last for after a treatment?

2. What would the standard starting oral and also topical dose of DMSO look like? What are standard precautions I should know? Are there other supplements I should take alongside to prevent negative effects? Are there negative effects?

3. I am looking for some introductory / trustworthy guide material on using DMSO for pain / healing.

3. How bad is the garlic smell? Is there something to do to offset the smell? Does occassional (once a week) use bring out a smell or does it need to be more frequent than that?

4. Has anyone nebulized DMSO? I have read this has great results, does this sound safe or foolish to you? The idea appeals to me, in part because it sounds less messy and would cut down on the risk of it accidentally coming in to contact with something foreign and leeching that in to my body.

5. Why do people visit doctors for iv treatment with dmso when dmso passes directly in to the body. What benefit would this have over topical?

6. Are there any common minerals, vitamins, medicines that you can suggest I try to mix with DMSO for healing of tendinitis / internal scaring.

I know this is asking a lot, but I really admire the minds on this board and want to hear opinions here, rather than get them from some random website.

Thanks!

MSM is a very strong Nitric Oxide antagonist. I don't know why more peaters aren't using it

 

[Glassy]

I ordered a bottle of pure DMSO but I haven’t used it much. I’ve applied .5 to 1.0ml of diluted (approx 50:50) to my outer thighs pretty irregularly and noticed nothing more than the oniony smell. I couldn’t taste it and it wasn’t noticeable in 15 mins (wife didn’t complain about it either). I haven’t noticed anything positive or negative but was really just playing around with it and wanted some on hand.

MSM and DMSO remind me a lot of iodine/iodide. The people who believe in it say it cures almost everything and the other people believe it’s risky or dangerous. I’ve never heard of people nebulising it but I’ve heard people have taken it orally for strokes. I wouldn’t do anything with the pure stuff though - it reacts with water quickly and produces quite a bit of heat initially. They say that it travels around the body quickly so I would probably would only apply it to your tougher/outer skin (avoiding the sensitive areas) as it doesn’t need to be on the exact site for it to work. People have reported that it irritates the skin (but that could be for a number of reasons).

I’d be interested to hear how you go.

 

[Dave Clark]

I have used pharma grade dmso for years on my lower back, shoulder, knee, etc. Never had a garlic effect from it, and the only thing negative that I ever noticed is skin irritation every now and then. Like Glassy said, some rave about it, others think it's the kiss of death. Personally, I have not had any miraculous relief from it, but when I am hurting I give it the full nine yards of everything I know that reduces pain.

 

[Captain_Coconut]

I just started taking topical dmso yesterday. It has been pretty helpful so far for my joint pain, I have applied a teaspoon worth of 99.9% to just one area and then all the painful areas went from a 6 to a 3 in a matter of an hour, this effect lasted for about 6 hours, 24 hours later without having taken anymore the pain was maybe around a 5. I have some chronic tendon inflammation which has been very stubborn to heal despite adhering to a very peaty diet etc for the last 4 months. I'm hopeful that the dmso will help to drive in further all of the nutrients I am getting.

The anti inflammatory effect is profound. I have a spot on my body I use to test this. My left tear duct will feel spongy - and make a small squishy sound when my body is experiencing general inflammation - it is a spot I have found which correlates 100% with how my pain levels are. This tear duct area completely flattened out an hour after taking the dmso.

I can say now that dmso is not very similar to msm, at least in terms of short term effects, dmso is requiring much smaller doses and working much faster than msm for pain reduction / flexibility etc; I'd say it is a lot more powerful in general than msm.

I started to nebulize some today mixed with 50% saline. I was not in to it, it would take a very long time to nebulize a teaspoon size dose, and it was a bit harsh on the lungs. It seems it would only be worth trying out again if I needed to clear up respiratory problems. I didn't have any negative reactions, but it felt like a waste of my time compared to topical application.

 

[Glassy]

I just started taking topical dmso yesterday. It has been pretty helpful so far for my joint pain, I have applied a teaspoon worth of 99.9% to just one area and then all the painful areas went from a 6 to a 3 in a matter of an hour, this effect lasted for about 6 hours, 24 hours later without having taken anymore the pain was maybe around a 5. I have some chronic tendon inflammation which has been very stubborn to heal despite adhering to a very peaty diet etc for the last 4 months. I'm hopeful that the dmso will help to drive in further all of the nutrients I am getting.

The anti inflammatory effect is profound. I have a spot on my body I use to test this. My left tear duct will feel spongy - and make a small squishy sound when my body is experiencing general inflammation - it is a spot I have found which correlates 100% with how my pain levels are. This tear duct area completely flattened out an hour after taking the dmso.

I can say now that dmso is not very similar to msm, at least in terms of short term effects, dmso is requiring much smaller doses and working much faster than msm for pain reduction / flexibility etc; I'd say it is a lot more powerful in general than msm.

I started to nebulize some today mixed with 50% saline. I was not in to it, it would take a very long time to nebulize a teaspoon size dose, and it was a bit harsh on the lungs. It seems it would only be worth trying out again if I needed to clear up respiratory problems. I didn't have any negative reactions, but it felt like a waste of my time compared to topical application.

So you applied the “pure” stuff topically and it didn’t burn? Interesting. I’ve not been game to try it after preparing a diluted mixture and having the glass dropper get pretty damn hot. Yeah in terms of efficient dosing, I imagine topical (or even oral) would be better than nebulising although as you mentioned it might have some benefit for a lung issue (although the irritation might be too much in this condition). I’ve not noticed much of anything with the DMSO but applying it diluted reduces the quantity of DMSO involved. Your teaspoon was probably close to 3 times the largest dose I applied.

 

[Captain_Coconut]

I'm starting to note it has the most pain relief effect when the pores are already open and muscles are relaxed, after a hot bath or shower. I haven't got any burns, it tingles for about 20 minutes no sting or red marks left after that, it has really pruned up my fingers after using them to apply it - which makes me think I should dilute it some.

I read somewhere that a 50% to 70% solution of dmso in water is supposedly better absorbed in to the body than a higher solution of dmso - e.g. 80%.... although I can't find clear information explaining why that is.... can anyone confirm this? Why would this be?

 

[Glassy]

I'm starting to note it has the most pain relief effect when the pores are already open and muscles are relaxed, after a hot bath or shower. I haven't got any burns, it tingles for about 20 minutes no sting or red marks left after that, it has really pruned up my fingers after using them to apply it - which makes me think I should dilute it some.

I read somewhere that a 50% to 70% solution of dmso in water is supposedly better absorbed in to the body than a higher solution of dmso - e.g. 80%.... although I can't find clear information explaining why that is.... can anyone confirm this? Why would this be?

There is a definite exothermic reaction going on with the water when the pure stuff hits it. Maybe it’s dehydrating your skin reacting with the water in it? 70% is still pretty strong but might be a little more chemically stable but is still concentrated enough to allow a decent dose to be applied easily.

 

[Lokzo]

I just started MSM, in doses easily up to 5 grams.

I am noticing IRRITABILITY, signs of reduced serotonin, anti-social, but ultra focused/clear headed.

Also, I feel like it is raising cortisol.

I feel slightly wired.

Also, completely irradicates libido, but im thinking that may be due to it's Nitric Oxide lowering effects.

 

[Captain_Coconut]

I just started MSM, in doses easily up to 5 grams.

I am noticing IRRITABILITY, signs of reduced serotonin, anti-social, but ultra focused/clear headed.

Also, I feel like it is raising cortisol.

I feel slightly wired.

Also, completely irradicates libido, but im thinking that may be due to it's Nitric Oxide lowering effects.

When I first started MSM I felt crazy, the wired feeling subsided after about a week. I then felt really good with it at that dose for about a year, then slowly I stopped noticing much from it. In the end I think it may have helped contribute to anemia. I think I took a couple grams a day. It is powerful stuff, but also easy to overdo, it can compete with absorption for certain minerals and chelate both good and bad metals from the body.

 

[Lokzo]

When I first started MSM I felt crazy, the wired feeling subsided after about a week. I then felt really good with it at that dose for about a year, then slowly I stopped noticing much from it. In the end I think it may have helped contribute to anemia. I think I took a couple grams a day. It is powerful stuff, but also easy to overdo, it can compete with absorption for certain minerals and chelate both good and bad metals from the body.

Exactly. I do feel a little crazy and very very disinterested in talking to people. I feel wired as well. I don't like this at all.

I might try sticking it out for a little longer, although part of me is complaining because I am on holidays and dont want to be in this miserable state haha.

I only saw depletion of Molybdenum?

 

[Captain_Coconut]

Exactly. I do feel a little crazy and very very disinterested in talking to people. I feel wired as well. I don't like this at all.

I might try sticking it out for a little longer, although part of me is complaining because I am on holidays and dont want to be in this miserable state haha.

I only saw depletion of Molybdenum?

It depletes copper, selenium, iron, and likely zinc, I have a feeling it doesn’t have much bias when it comes to what it will chelate.

 

[Lokzo]

It depletes copper, selenium, iron, and likely zinc, I have a feeling it doesn’t have much bias when it comes to what it will chelate.

Realllly!!!?!!?

Damn that's nasty. This just makes it so tricky to integrate.

No one really talks about the impact that MSM has on those minerals though... But I am taking your word.

 

[Captain_Coconut]

Realllly!!!?!!?

Damn that's nasty. This just makes it so tricky to integrate.

No one really talks about the impact that MSM has on those minerals though... But I am taking your word.

Just look up sulphur or organic sulphur and you can find a lot on the subject. It is not spoken of widly on most health related forums etc because most people just take it for a couple months and forget about it. I think the long term daily use is when it starts to become a problem. There is likely a certain need for it in the body, but once stores are replenished it likely ends up blocking a bunch of other minerals if you are constantly taking it in large amounts.

 

[Lokzo]

Just look up sulphur or organic sulphur and you can find a lot on the subject. It is not spoken of widly on most health related forums etc because most people just take it for a couple months and forget about it. I think the long term daily use is when it starts to become a problem. There is likely a certain need for it in the body, but once stores are replenished it likely ends up blocking a bunch of other minerals if you are constantly taking it in large amounts.

Very good points.

I am probably going to ditch it. Not a fan of the Nitric Oxide lowering potential. I train super hard, craving muscle pumps/building muscle so this is not something that appeals to me at all.